JAPAN Airlines (JAL) has started using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft on four out of five weekly services between Tokyo (Narita) and New Delhi, effective May 1.

The remaining flight will continue to be served by a B777-200ER aircraft with 245 seats. In comparison, JAL’s Dreamliner is configured with 42 business-class and 144 economy-class seats, translating into a 19-per cent reduction in capacity on the route.

Yasushi Isomura, country manager – India, JAL said: “We are making the best use of the Boeing 787’s long-range capability to serve markets with promising business demand. With the introduction of the Dreamliner, we are expecting to attract a lot of corporate business and leisure travellers.”

Susrita Banerjee, managing director, Fly Faraway Kolkata said: “Deployment of more fuel-efficient aircraft between India and Japan is welcome, as travel between the two countries is increasing substantially due to joint investments in industries such as light engineering and energy. If airline costs are lowered, ticket prices should remain low. We should also see some MICE movement from Japan to India soon.”